Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step
On the second floor of the Martial Arts Hall, Luo Feng picked up several leg technique secret manuals for inspection, then put them down again.
These leg technique secret manuals were actually quite good, each with its strengths.
Some could assist Light Martial Arts and increase speed; others featured unorthodox footwork, suited for close-quarters combat and for martial artists who cultivated Horizontal Practice techniques. The rest also had their unique features.
After all, these leg technique secret manuals were all High-Rank Yellow Grade martial arts, considered treasures in the secular world that people would fight tooth and nail for.
After browsing all the martial arts manuals on the bookshelf, Luo Feng finally chose the leg technique he wanted to practice.
Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step. Grade: High-Rank Yellow Grade, divided into five levels. This leg technique has no specific stances, but it can cultivate hidden strength and release shockwaves.
The first level of Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step allows one step to generate a shockwave within a one-meter range. Each subsequent level increases the range and power of the shockwaves. When perfected at the fifth level, in conjunction with Gang Qi, one step can generate five consecutive shockwaves, injuring foes unseen.
I’m practicing the Sky Slayer Saber Technique, so my attacks are already exceptional among martial artists at the same cultivation level. What I currently lack is defense. This Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step, integrating both offense and defense, is perfect for my cultivation.
After reading the introduction to the Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step, Luo Feng immediately decided to cultivate this leg technique.
Taking the secret manual, Luo Feng glanced at the stairs leading to the third floor and shook his head slightly.
Even as an inner court student, one couldn’t freely access the third floor of the Martial Arts Hall. Only those with one hundred academy credits stored in their inner court token were qualified to enter.
Luo Feng had just become an inner court student and currently had zero academy credits.
In two months, I must accumulate enough academy credits to go to the third floor and choose a Supreme-Rank Yellow Grade martial art.
Luo Feng exhaled, then turned and left the Martial Arts Hall, returning to his small courtyard.
「In the following days」
Luo Feng practiced martial arts during the day and consumed Tiger Refining Pills at night to enhance his cultivation. Apart from going to the inner court dining hall for meals, he didn’t leave his small courtyard.
「In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed.」
This morning, the early sun pierced through the thin mist, shining into the courtyard.
In the middle of the small courtyard sat a figure, eyes slightly closed. A hissing sound emanated from his body, as if thunderbolts were coursing within him.
Upon careful observation, with every breath the figure took, the water vapor in the courtyard flowed accordingly, as if the entire small courtyard had merged with him.
The figure was, of course, Luo Feng. His eyes were currently closed as he refined the remaining medicinal power of the Tiger Refining Pills within his body.
A quarter of an hour later, Luo Feng’s eyes snapped open. A black light flashed within them, like lightning in the night sky, momentarily illuminating the small courtyard.
"Phew..."
Luo Feng exhaled a long breath. His breath was like an arrow, solid and unwavering, shooting out a meter before gradually dissipating, causing the pebbles on the ground to tremble slightly.
Exhaling breath like an arrow... The next step is to condense vital energy into Gang Qi. I’m only one step away from the seventh stage, the Essence Storage Realm.
Luo Feng’s eyes lit up with delight as he watched the pebbles on the ground tremble.
After half a month of arduous cultivation, he had completely refined the medicinal power of all ten Tiger Refining Pills.
Originally, he had thought that ten Tiger Refining Pills would only allow him to reach the peak of the sixth stage, the God Bravery Realm.
Unexpectedly, his cultivation had advanced further, reaching the absolute peak of the sixth stage, just one step away from the seventh stage, the Essence Storage Realm.
Upon stepping into the Essence Storage Realm, a martial artist would transcend the Tempering Body phase and enter the God Nurturing phase, their strength undergoing a qualitative leap.
However, stepping into the Essence Storage Realm was no easy task. This step signified a martial artist truly stepping onto the path of Martial Arts, an extremely difficult transition.
Ji Wuyue had been stuck at the peak of the God Bravery Realm for nearly two years without a breakthrough. Only after receiving the Nurturing Spirit Pill gifted by Luo Feng did she manage to step into the Essence Storage Realm, which highlighted its difficulty.
Although Luo Feng’s comprehension was considered monstrously talented, he wasn’t sure if he could reach the Essence Storage Realm in a short time.
Let’s try the Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step first.
Legend told of a martial arts master who had transcended the Spiritual Rotation Realm. During a stormy night with thunder and lightning, this master observed a three-eyed demonic swallow flying through the thunderclouds. Inspired, he created this martial art. Its movements carried the momentum of thunder crashing through clouds, possessing matchless power.
This martial art was originally a Supreme-Rank Yellow Grade technique. However, after the master’s demise, no one could grasp the true essence of this Shock Cloud Step, and it gradually degraded to High-Rank.
Luo Feng stood up, lightly drew a breath, and began to condense his inner strength.
WHOOSH... WHOOSH...
Luo Feng’s clothes fluttered without wind, rustling audibly. He exuded an awe-inspiring aura, as if standing proudly in the vast cosmos.
In an instant, Luo Feng slowly took a step. As he lifted his foot, his entire presence suddenly surged, like a towering mountain, looking down on everything.
An invisible current of air swirled beneath his feet, disturbing the morning breeze.
BOOM!
As he stepped down, the air in the entire courtyard vibrated three times.
The ground beneath Luo Feng’s feet rippled like waves. After the third ripple, it caved in with a roar, the earth within a three-meter radius sinking half a foot!
This is the power of the Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step! Incredible!
Luo Feng exclaimed in amazement.
He had only cultivated the Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step to the third level, yet it already possessed such power.
If he cultivated it to the fifth level and his cultivation reached the seventh stage of the Essence Storage Realm, allowing him to use Gang Qi against enemies, he could probably shatter even crucible-forged steel with a single step.
There are still a few days left until my appointment with Bing Ruolan. In these few days, I will focus all my efforts on cultivating this Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step and see if I can break through to the fourth level.
With his cultivation temporarily at an impasse, Luo Feng wholeheartedly dedicated himself to practicing the Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step.
「Time flew, and another five days passed as Luo Feng practiced his leg technique in the small courtyard.」
Perhaps due to practicing domineering martial arts like the Sky Slayer Saber Technique and Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step, the fifteen-year-old Luo Feng had grown taller. His lean, slightly thin frame exuded the steadiness of a mountain. His gaze, as it swept around, held a natural, imposing aura, setting him apart.
After five days of dedicated cultivation, his Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step had advanced to the fourth level.
With each step, he could unleash four shockwaves, its power and range greatly increased.
Now, he could easily shatter a man-high boulder with a casual execution of the Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step, demonstrating its unmatched might.
Now my Teng Dragon’s Step has reached the limit of the fourth level, allowing me to leap eighty meters in a single bound. For long-range, I have the Sky Slayer Saber Technique to strike down enemies; for close combat, I have the Tiger Roar Fist combined with the Thunder Rush Shock Cloud Step for defense. With these four martial arts complementing each other, I have no weaknesses. Even if I encounter an expert like Li Yuanhao, I am confident I can defeat him head-on. That Duanmu Yu probably wouldn’t withstand three of my moves!
A strong sense of confidence emanated from Luo Feng’s eyes. He then pondered:
I wonder how my current strength compares to outstanding talents like Zi Yuan from the New Talents Competition? It’s a pity she is also away cultivating; otherwise, sparring with her would have given me a measure of my current level...
Thinking of the New Talents Competition two months away, Luo Feng still felt a sense of uncertainty.
He believed his talent was second to none, but unfortunately, he had started too late.
Zi Yuan, for example, was already an expert at the mid-stage of the seventh level, the Essence Storage Realm. His own cultivation lagged far behind.
At the New Talents Competition, young experts from dozens of academies in the Flowing Cloud Region would gather. The event would be a congregation of talent, with many exceptionally gifted individuals among them.
An expert like Zi Yuan had only managed to rank fourth in the previous year’s New Talents Competition, which showed just how fierce the competition was.
Moreover, Luo Feng’s perspective was no longer confined to the four major academies.
It was known that among the twelve prefectures of the Canglang Dynasty, the Flowing Cloud Region was the weakest. Other prefectures constantly produced young experts.
And the Canglang Dynasty was not the only kingdom on the True Martial Continent.
One could only imagine how many astonishing talents were scattered across the entire True Martial Continent...
With a soft sigh, Luo Feng gathered his thoughts, no longer letting them wander.
The path ahead had to be walked one step at a time, enemies defeated one by one. Right now, his focus was on securing a place in the top three of the New Talents Competition.
Then, the competition rewards would help him prepare for entering the Golden Palace the following year.
It’s been a month since I last went out. I wonder what changes have occurred in the martial world...
Glancing outside the courtyard, Luo Feng went into the house, changed into simpler attire, closed the courtyard gate, and headed towards the Extreme Sun Great Hall.
He was currently at a cultivation bottleneck, and hard training alone seemed insufficient for a breakthrough. It might be better to relax a bit first.
Besides, he was quite concerned about the developments regarding Duanmu Yu and saw this as a good opportunity to gather some information.
Luo Feng first went to the Extreme Sun Great Hall. Having finally become an inner court student, he planned to take this opportunity to accept a mission.
In the majestic Extreme Sun Great Hall, hundreds of inner court students bustled about. Some, having accepted missions, were preparing to depart.
Others were stained with blood, a faint murderous intent in their eyes, clearly having just returned from completing their missions.
Upon entering the great hall, Luo Feng walked directly inside.
Inside the Extreme Sun Great Hall stood four jade screens, covered in jade slips of purple and white. These screens displayed the available missions, each screen representing a different level of difficulty, from one-star to four-star, progressively harder.
Luo Feng had heard the examining elder mention these jade screens before, so he was not unfamiliar with them.
One-star missions were suitable for new inner court students.
Two-star missions were more dangerous, suited for stronger inner court students. Typically, only students on the Winged Tiger List would accept them.
Only students renowned on the Hidden Dragon List dared to take on three-star missions.
As for four-star missions, due to their extreme danger, generally only academy elders and instructors would select them.
The rewards also differed based on the color of the jade slip.
White jade slips represented bounty missions collected by the academy from the martial world, offering higher monetary rewards.
Purple jade slips were for missions issued by the academy itself. Although the monetary reward might not match the bounty missions, completing them earned academy credits. Each had its own advantages.
Luo Feng went directly to the second jade screen. He only wanted to test his skills this time, so a two-star mission would suffice.
He ignored the bounty missions, his gaze falling upon the academy missions on the jade screen.
What he needed most right now were academy credits; the amount of the monetary reward was a secondary concern.
The first jade slip described an escort mission.
Mission: Escort the Chen Family of Qingfeng Town during their relocation to Sky Leaf City.
Mission Analysis: The Chen Family consists of thirty-six members, half of whom are female family members. They possess considerable wealth and have ten guards whose cultivation ranges from the fourth stage of the Rigid-Soft Realm to the fifth stage of the Iron Bone Realm. Their route will pass through the territories of many powerful figures in the martial world, making the journey extremely perilous. It is recommended that two students at the sixth stage of the God Bravery Realm undertake this mission.
Mission Reward: Two academy credits, ten thousand taels of silver.